Day calendar timepiece with multiple language displays

ABSTRACT

A day-indicating disc bears inscriptions of the names of the days of the week in a plurality of languages. Said inscriptions have a uniform angular spacing. The inscriptions of the names of each day in all said languages are disposed adjacent to each other in a regular succession. The inscriptions of the names of the days of the week are arranged in a chronological succession in a given sense. A day-shifting wheel is coupled to said disc and has an annular series of teeth which have the same angular spacing as said inscriptions. A rotatably mounted day-shifting finger is provided, which has an inclined back. Timing means are provided, which serve to rotate said finger in a forward sense through one revolution in 24 hours. Setting means are provided, which are manually operable to rotate said finger in a reverse sense. Said finger is arranged to engage said teeth with the side of said finger opposite to said back to a relatively large depth and to rotate said wheel in said given sense through a predetermined plurality of said angular spacings during each revolution of said finger in said forward sense. Said predetermined plurality is equal to said plurality of languages. Said finger is also arranged to engage said teeth with the back of said finger to a relatively small depth and to rotate said wheel opposite to said given sense through said angular spacing during each revolution of said finger in said reverse sense.

United States Patent [191 Uhrentechniker 51 Feb. 5, 1974 DAY CALENDAR TIIVIEPIECE WITI-I MULTIPLE LANGUAGE DISPLAYS Alfred Eisele Uhrentechniker, Pforzheim, Gennany [73] Assignee: Pforzheimer Uhren-Rohwerke lnh.

Rudplf Wehner, Pforzheim, Germany 22 Filed: June 29,1973

21 Appl. No.: 375,155

[75] Inventor:

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Primary ExaminerGeorge H. Miller, Jr.

[57] I ABSTRACT A day-indicating disc bears inscriptions of the names of the days of the week in a plurality of languages. Said insciptions have a uniform angular spacing. The inscriptions of the names of each day in all said languages are disposed adjacent to each other in a regular succession. The inscriptions of the names of the days of the week are arranged in a chronological succession in a given sense. A day-shifting wheel is coupled to said disc and has an annular series of teeth which have the same angular spacing as said inscriptions. A rotatably mounted day-shifting finger is provided, which has an inclined back. Timing means are provided, which serve to rotate said finger in a forward sense through one revolution in 24 hours. Setting means are provided, which are manually operable to rotate said finger in a reverse sense. Said finger is arranged to engage said teeth with the side of said finger opposite to said back to a relatively large depth and to rotate said wheel in said given sense through a predetermined plurality of said angular spacings during each RQ Q L QQLQLEQE. fias i iotw nss'msai. predetermined plurality is equal to said plurality of languages. Said finger is also arranged to engage said teeth with the back of said finger to a relatively small depth and to rotate said wheel opposite to said given sense through said angular spacing during each revolution of said finger in said reverse sense.

5 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure DAY CALENDAR T IMEPIECE WITH MULTIPLE LANGUAGE DISPLAYS This invention relates to a wrist watch which comprises means for indicating the date of the month and for indicating the day of the week in two languages.

It is known to provide so-called calendar watches with means for indicating the date of the month as well as with means for indicating the clay of the week. In known watches of this kind, the day-indicating disc has been provided with the names of the day of the week in two languages although this arrangement requires a relatively large window and renders the reading difficult. In other known watches provided with means for indicating the date of the month and the day of the week, the day-indicating disc is provided with the names of the days in at least three languages and the window for reading the day of the week can be adjusted to expose the names of the days in one of these languages. The adjusting mechanism required for this purpose is complicated and requires additional space.

It is an object of the invention to enable an indication of the day of the week in two languages without a'large addition to the structural expenditure previously required for the indication of the day of the week in one language. These means comprise the day-indicating disc, which is provided with the names of the days of the week and coupled to a day-shifting wheel, a dayshifting finger for shifting said wheel and disc every 24 hours, a day wheel, which carries said finger, and a day idler wheel for driving said wheel.

In a wrist watch comprising means for indicating the date of the month and the day of the week, this object is accomplished according to the invention in that the day-shifting finger which interengages with the dayshifting wheel to shift the same every 24 hours is adapted to interengage with the day-shifting wheel to a large depth for a forward movement of said ring by at least two tooth pitches, and said finger has an inclined back and is adapted to be moved in the reverse direction by hand by means of a conventional setting shaft and gearing and in this case engages said dayshifting wheel with said inclined back to reversely shift said wheel by only one tooth pitch. In such an arrangement for two languages, the day-shifting wheel is provided with twice the number of teeth and the dayshifting finger is arranged to engage with the dayshifting wheel to a relatively large depth and has an inclined back to shift the day-shifting wheel by only one tooth pitch in the reverse direction so that the disc can be set to indicate the days of the week by exposing their names in the other language.

An embodiment of the wrist watch according to the invention comprising means for indicating the date of the month and means for indicating the days of the week in two languages is shown by way of example in the drawing in a fragmentary view showing the means for driving and shifting the day-shifting wheel.

In accordance with the drawing, the day idler wheel 1 is riveted to the date-shifting wheel and is thus driven by the mechanism for driving the hands of the watch. The teeth of the wheel I are in mesh with those of the day wheel 2 to drive the same at a transmission ratio of 1:1. The day-shifting finger 3 is riveted to the day wheel 2 and every 24 hours engages the teeth of the dayshifting wheel 4 so that the movement of the watch causes the finger 3 to shift the wheel 4 forward by at least two tooth pitches because the finger 3 extends into the spaces between the teeth of the wheel 4 in a sufficiently large depth. A pawl 5 serves to hold the day-shifting wheel 4 in position. The day-shifting wheel 4 has twice the number of teeth and carries the annular day-indicating disc, which is provided with the names of the days of the week in two languages, in the present example in German and English in alternation. Because the day-shifting wheel is advanced in steps of two tooth pitches, the days of the week are always indicated in one and the same language. This indication of the days is maintained in the usual manner throughout the day in the day-indicating window in the dial and is not changed until shortly before midnight.

When it is desired to indicate the days of the week in the other language, the winding and setting stem is rotated in the counterclockwise sense until the dayshifting finger 3 rotates the day-shifting wheel 4 in the reverse sense. In this case, the wheel 4 is rotated by only one tooth pitch because the finger 3 has an inclined back 6 and for a reverse rotation of the wheel 4 engages the same with said back 6 to shift the wheel 4 only by one tooth pitch in the reverse sense whereas the back 6 clears the second tooth.

The conventional setting stern can thus be used for a reverse rotation resulting in a change to the indication of the days of the week in the other language in the dayindicating window. The days will then be indicated in the new language when the watch moves in the usual manner. For this reason, the names of the days of the week in two languages, such as German and English, are arranged in alternation on the day-indicating disc, which is riveted to the day-shifting wheel 4. In case of German and English, this results in the sequences: Sonntag Sunday Montag Monday etc.

What is claimed is:

1. A watch, which comprises a day-indicating disc, which bears inscriptions of the names of the days of the week in a plurality of languages, said inscriptions having a uniform angular spacing, the inscriptions of the names of each day in all said languages being disposed adjacent to each other in a regular succession and the inscriptions of the names of the days being arranged in a chronological succession in a given sense,

a day-shifting wheel, which is coupled to said disc and has an annular series of teeth which have the same angular spacing as said inscriptions,

a rotatably mounted day-shifting finger having an inclined back,

timing means for rotating said finger in a forward sense through one revolution in 24 hours, and

setting means which are manually operable to rotate said finger in a reverse sense,

said finger being arranged to engage said teeth with the side of said finger opposite to said back to a relatively large depth and to rotate said wheel in said given sense through a predetermined plurality of said angular spacings during each revolution of said finger in said forward sense, said predetermined plurality being equal to said plurality of languages,

said finger being arranged to engage said teeth with the back of said finger to a relatively small depth and to rotate said wheel opposite to said given sense through said angular spacing during each revolution of said finger in said reverse sense.

3 4 2. A watch as set forth in claim 1, which is a wrist ting means comprise a setting shaft and gearing conwatch. l meeting said shaft to said finger.

A watch as set forth Claim m much 5. A watch as set forth in claim 1, which comprises 5 means for indicating the date of the month. 

1. A watch, which comprises a day-indicating disc, which bears inscriptions of the names of the days of the week in a plurality of languages, said inscriptions having a uniform angular spacing, the inscriptions of the names of each day in all said languages being disposed adjacent to each other in a regular succession and the inscriptions of the names of the days being arranged in a chronological succession in a given sense, a day-shifting wheel, which is coupled to said disc and has an annular series of teeth which have the same angular spacing as said inscriptions, a rotatably mounted day-shifting finger having an inclined back, timing means for rotating said finger in a forward sense through one revolution in 24 hours, and settIng means which are manually operable to rotate said finger in a reverse sense, said finger being arranged to engage said teeth with the side of said finger opposite to said back to a relatively large depth and to rotate said wheel in said given sense through a predetermined plurality of said angular spacings during each revolution of said finger in said forward sense, said predetermined plurality being equal to said plurality of languages, said finger being arranged to engage said teeth with the back of said finger to a relatively small depth and to rotate said wheel opposite to said given sense through said angular spacing during each revolution of said finger in said reverse sense.
 2. A watch as set forth in claim 1, which is a wrist watch.
 3. A watch as set forth in claim 1, in which said disc bears alternating inscriptions of the names of the days of the week in two languages.
 4. A watch as set forth in claim 1, in which said setting means comprise a setting shaft and gearing connecting said shaft to said finger.
 5. A watch as set forth in claim 1, which comprises means for indicating the date of the month. 